


Kojuurou

by 5ofSpades



Category: Sengoku Basara, Sengoku Jidai | Sengoku Period RPF
Genre: F/M, Historical Inaccuracy, Loyalty, M/M, Master & Servant, Taiga Drama
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-05
Updated: 2013-12-05
Packaged: 2018-01-03 13:11:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1070836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/5ofSpades/pseuds/5ofSpades
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>No mortal man can live past his allotted natural lifespan, but a few do make pretty darn impressive attempts. This is a story about <strike>one</strike> some of them.</p><p>And this is a story about duty and loyalty, transcending generations and time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Kojuurou

**Author's Note:**

> This is an old fic.
> 
> Saw the Date x Shigenaga (Kojuurou’s kid) request in the Sengoku kink-meme, really wanted to write it, and then realized what came out is wildly off topic. Too late to take it back now.
> 
> Warnings: dry narrative, OCs, implied het, implied slash, random and inappropriate footnotes, total bastardization of Basara, History, and Taiga Drama canons. This entertained me way more than it’s going to entertain you.
> 
> Again, the following story never really quite happened this way.

The Master  


The Man  


**

It was a day of celebration for the people of Shiroishi city. Their Lord will have a wife again after his first wife’s sad passing. The Leader of Oushu, whom their Lord served, personally came to the city, bringing with him heartfelt congratulations, plentiful delicacies, and dazzling gifts.

There will be a _Wild Party_ tonight.

***

The groom was handsome and able. So handsome, that many young ladies (and at least one lad1) wept when they heard the news of this marriage. So talented, that many lords generously bestowed upon him high praises and eyed the man he served with envy.

The bride was beautiful and lively. Her fine features were reminiscent of her father’s2, but with soft feminine grace. Her spirit was even more so, to be uplifted again after suffering so heavy a personal tragedy.

In the height of the festivities, the most honoured guest, First Lord of Sendai, One-Eyed Dragon of Oushu, donned his colourful Jinbaori3, grabbed six fans, and performed an impromptus dance befitting his name and flashy reputation.

The six fans whirled and twirled, obeying their wielder’s every command. Some of the guests swore they glimpsed sparks of lightening. 

Amid clapping and cheers, the Lord of Oushu bent down in front of the groom, and placed his lips on the flustered man’s cheek.

“Hey, this _Kiss_ is a blessing of good will in the Christian tradition. Go ask Father Sotelo if you don’t believe in your Lord,” the Dragon grinned down at his blushing victim.

The groom stammered for a bit, but soon recovered his composure, “Thank you for your blessings on your ever faithful retainer’s special day, Masamune-sama.”

The guests roared with laughter, and congratulated the Oushu Lord on his bright fortunes, to have such a close-knit relationship with a retainer so good and true.

***

“Although this is not my first marriage, this Katakura Shigenaga, will treat you with the utmost respect, O-Ume-dono.” 

“And I, Sanada Ume, will do my best to become a bride worthy of the young master of Shiroishi city.”

***

He first glimpsed that Ume girl on the fields of Osaka, a small whirlwind bathed in red.

Then as if guided by an invisible thread, his one good eye quickly sought out that man. The man’s once straight back had become stooped under the burdens of forced exile; His flowing ponytail cut short; His once bright temples peppered with white. Yet the six sen emblem proudly adorned his back still, and the signature twin spears lit up the sky with their fire. Although different than the flames of their youth, this passion was heavier, stronger, cleansed of all inexperience and soft-hearted indecisions, and full of deadly conviction.

For the second time in his life, the Dragon of Oushu felt old.

***

“I, Sanada Genjiro Yukimura, thank you from the bottom of my heart, Masamune-dono.”

The crimson demon of war put on his war paint and armour. Outside his tent, the famed Sanada ninjas dressed to mirror their master.

In the war demon’s heart rested true calmness. His daughter and younger son are now in safe hands. While their father makes his final stand (it will be the stuff of songs for ages to come), the children will be under the best of protections.

***

He had always tried to protect what he’d set out to protect to the bitter end: his home - forced away from his place of birth and ancestral castle by Hideyoshi; his retainers - so many fallen and gone; his family - estranged and dead (by his own hands).

But in the new city he built, he was well-loved, his people industrious, domain prosperous, his new family bond closely to him.

And when he looked into the eyes of Oni Kojuurou, he saw respect and trust, pride and love, and a loyalty no weaker than a certain predecessor’s.

His retainer had always been a better protector than he was. He paid far too much in his trial and errors.

He sent Kojuurou to the Sanada camp under night’s soft covers, hidden from the prying eyes of the Tokugawa. When the Date retainer returned, he carried a young lady on his saddle and a little boy in his arms.

***

The first time Date Masamune felt old, was when Shiroishi’s army marched for Osaka to bolster his own.

Kojuurou rode in front of his men, and naturally found his place guarding Masamune’s back once the two forces joined.

Kojuurou’s hands have yet to be weathered by time, his face unmarred by battle, his body untouched by sickness, his heart brave and true.

He was the Dates’ Kojuurou, famed across the land. 

He wasn’t Masamune’s Kojuurou.

***

Masamune had seen and carved out more gruesome corpses before in his long military career. So he was surprised to find his stoic mask slipping, even if just for a moment, when he saw his long time rival’s headless body.

***

After the Summer Siege of Osaka, winter quietly came. It brought the northern lands a nurturing blanket of pure white, and took away the Oushu Dragon’s treasured Right Eye in exchange.

***

The bride and groom finally bid their guests goodnight and retreated from the party, to do what newly-weds should do. Masamune, a moderate drinker, excused himself from the drunken merriments. 

The air outside was crisp and clean. The night breeze carried with it the coolness of late fall. The favoured vegetable garden had lost its lush green colourings of summer, and gave away its rich fall fruits for the dinner tables. But even under the crescent moon, one could see it was neatly kept and well prepared to welcome spring again. Masamune’s feet carried him along an often walked path, to the door of the retired former master of this castle.

He waved aside the servants and invited himself in, like he had done so many times before. The room was kept warm and toasty. But instead of hominess, it was soaked in the unique smell of medicine. Heavy and bitter, it permeated every corner, settled into every piece of fabric.

“Yo Kojuurou, you missed a _Great Party_ ,” Masamune plopped himself down beside the patient’s futon.

“Masamune-sama, you really shouldn’t have troubled yourself on Kojuurou’s behalf. A bright party is much more suitable for you than the company of an invalid,” Katakura Kagetsuna replied from within the bed covers.

“Nonsense. The party also missed you, so I brought a part of it with me. Didn’t your new daughter-in-law also send over a home-cooked meal earlier on? I made the miso.” 

Masamune glanced at the half-finished dinner, too hearty for a man of ailing health. To his satisfaction, the miso soup bowl was empty. Score one for Oushu’s culinary number one, and zero for this cursed illness (No, this illness is not long lasting. It will not be. It cannot be. Kojuurou will defeat it like he had all of his Lord’s enemies. A year is a very short time, ten years never that big of a difference, and Masamune so looked forward to the many more shared years to come.). 

Carefully the Lord propped up his retainer, and took out a hidden flask of wine.

“I’m itching for a smoke, but then the doctors would flay me alive. So Kojuurou, I will drink to your health, and drink your share for your son’s wedding. Oh, and congratulation on becoming a Grand Pa,” Masamune took two quick swigs, and dragged out the words on “Grand Pa”.

Kojuurou shook his head at his Lord’s antics. “It was unexpected, for Shigenaga to adopt Sanada-dono’s son, although the marriage with Ume was unsurprising.”

“Hey, you know what Kojuurou? Who’d have thought that one Sanada would marry a Date retainer, while another will grow up to be one? I should commission the brat some practice spears and tease Yukimura about it the next time I visit his grave. We’ll all go. Yukimura’s kids, his sparkling new son in law, me, and obviously you.”

“Of course, Masamune-sama.”

Masamune wanted to talk longer just like they used to do, covering topics about everything from conquering the land to watering the radish patch, but Kojuurou fell asleep.

A sliver of dim moonlight fell across the floor. The One-Eyed Dragon put down his wine flask, bent down, and placed his lips on the corner of his Right Eye’s mouth.

“This is a blessing of speedy recovery in the Christian tradition, Kojuurou.”

***

When his loyal retainer became a new father, Masamune found both joy and apprehension on the older man’s features. Joy he could understand, but what was Kojuurou afraid of? He was excellent with children. Just look at how well Masamune himself turned out from his stellar baby-sitting!

When Kojuurou finally spoke up, it was to apologize.

“Masamune-same, this Kojuurou sincerely seeks your forgiveness!”

“Huh?”

“This Kojuurou has produced an heir before his master.”

“ _The Hell_ Kojuurou 4? You do realize you are ten years older than me right?”

“And that Mego is only sixteen right?”

“Are you implying I should try harder? ~~Are you afraid I’ll be jealous?~~ ”

“Why am I even having this conversation? You are not thinking of stupid things like killing the brat right5? Give him to me if you don’t want him. Mego needs something to practice on. And once I do have an heir, he’ll need a big brother figure to look after him. _Great Idea_! Kojuurou, train your kid to be a good big brother figure!”

Although the baby, Shigenaga, looked more like a scrunched up prune than a dependable Katakura, Masamune had full confidence in his Right Eye. He was not disappointed when Kojuurou bowed and said,

“Yes, Masamune-sama.”

***

Yes, Masamune-sama. With your help, I will raise this boy to be a loyal vassal, a worthy retainer, and most importantly, a good man. And I will teach him to do the same with his son.

So that every head of the Katakura family would inherit the title and duties of Kojuurou. My son, my son’s son, and his son and so on, for as long as need be6. 

So that whenever my Lord should turn around, Kojuurou would be at your back. So that even if by chance Kagetsuna could no longer stay by your side, you would never have to fight alone again.

***

The End

Footnotes:  
1\. The lad in question was our favourite atlas beetle wok man Kobayakawa Hideaki. Tales have it that Shigenaga had to perform some quick dodging, and Masamune some artful cock-blocking, to save poor Shigenaga’s manly virtues.

2\. Who had caused his own fair share of tears when he married, adorable walking shirtless scene that he was.

3\. Affectionately though not regally nicknamed the _Technicoloured Polka-Dot Let’s Party Cool Coat tm_.

4\. It is hard work to have a right-hand man who is so serious AND habitually threatens to disembowel himself honourably.

5\. Historically Kojuurou might have been serious (wtf Kojuurou). But we would never know…

6\. A Highly Uninformative Time Table of Sorts Made from Various Sources – If you see anything funny, please correct:

1614, Winter Siege of Osaka – Unable to attend due to illness, Katakura Kagetsuna sent his son, Shigenaga, to battle in his stead. 

1615, Summer Siege of Osaka – Katakura Shigenaga defeated Toyotomi generals Gotō Mototsugu and Sukukida Kanesuke, and earned the nickname Oni Kojuurou. 

Leading Date Masamune’s horseback rifle squad, Shigenaga engaged Sanada Yukimura’s forces, but was forced to retreat. Yukimura later entrusted his daughters and younger son to Shigenaga. Outnumbered and exhausted, Yukimura died in battle the next day.

1671, Date Disturbance – Katakura Kagenaga, serving under young Date Tsunamura, maintained law and order in a time of internal disturbance, and prevented Sendai from being attainted.

1987 – Current head of the Date clan, Date Yasumune, supervised the NHK Taiga TV drama, Dokuganryu Masamune.

Current Day - Katakura Shigenobu is the chief priest of Sendai Aoba Shrine, which serves Takeru Hikonomikoto, the deified Founding Lord of Sendai, Date Masamune.


End file.
